1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of surfboards and paddleboards, more particularly to attachments or modifications to the decks of surfboards and paddleboards for assisting the user in paddling and standing up on surfboards and paddling paddleboards.
2. Description of the Related Art
Surfing is a popular surface water sport in which the participant is carried along the face of a breaking wave using a surfboard. Surfing requires balance, coordination and dexterity. Some of the most difficult aspects of learning to surf are paddling to the speed of the wave, maintaining a nice smooth motion in changing from a paddling position to a standing position, keeping one's center of gravity low once standing on the board, and maintaining a good flexed balance on the centerline or “stringer” of the board.
Surfing begins with the surfer eyeing a wave on the horizon and then attempting to match its speed toward the beach by paddling. Once the wave has started to carry the surfer forward, the surfer quickly jumps, or in surfer lingo “pops-up,” to his or her feet and proceeds to ride down the face of the wave, generally staying just ahead of the whitewater of the wave.
The two most common challenges for surfers are paddling out to the waves and, once there, the task of paddling the board fast enough to pop-up on the board. The object of paddling is to get the surfer out to the lineup of the waves with their board. While the movements of paddling are simple, it becomes much harder in the ocean as the surfer has to balance their body on the board in moving water while being deterred by the currents, wind and waves. Developing a proficiency at paddling is important for several reasons: 1) if a surfer cannot paddle well, he or she will not be able to get out beyond the breaking waves to the line up (i.e., the place in the water where the waves break)—he or she will never get a decent ride on a wave; 2) if a surfer is slower at paddling they will lose all the waves to the other surfers in the ocean that day; and 3) the more effort it takes a surfer to paddle out to the line-up, the more likely it is that the surfer will be caught by breaking waves, which can make paddling even harder, tiring the surfer.
Paddling begins outside of the water, with the surfer taking a moment to study the waves and decide upon the path to travel. The next steps generally proceed as follows: first, the surfer wades out into the water with their board until the water is waist-to-chest deep, then, the surfer must lay their body on the deck of the surfboard, generally in the prone position. A surfer frequently will have difficulty paddling out because of poor body positioning on the deck of the board. If the surfer is too far back on the board, it will tilt up in the front causing resistance that will make paddling the surfboard harder as well as potentially making it hard to see in front of the board. Further, if the surfer is too far forward on the surfboard, then the nose will sink, causing the surfer difficulty in maneuvering the board.
A surfer is in proper position when their body weight is positioned along the centerline or “stringer” of the board, their feet are raised slightly off the board and their body is positioned to keep the board on the surface of the water creating minimum drag. Once on the board, the surfer must begin to paddle slowly and smoothly, finishing each paddle stroke before starting the next one. The arm movement should be like that of the freestyle swim stroke: the arm should be stretched outright, fingertips pointed and together with each hand entering the water smoothly. The surfer must keep their head and chest lifted, with a slight arch in their back, at all times through the paddling process. This general method for paddling out to the waves is used because it allows a surfer to maintain balance on the board in the water and, with their chest raised and eyes ahead, puts the surfer's or paddler's arms, shoulders and upper body in a good position to propel their body through the water towards their target.
Despite its advantages, this method of paddling can be an uncomfortable and daunting task. Further, the act of raising one's chest/torso above the surface of the board can cause fatigue and strain in the musculoskeletal system of the surfer's lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine regions. Over time, the surfer has the possibility of developing chronic back pain and muscle tension, among other physical problems, from this motion. Due to these problems associated with paddling, alternative methods such as tow-in surfing, where paddling is eliminated by the use of a personal watercraft, and stand-up paddle surfing, where a paddle is used by the surfer to get out to the line-up, have gained in popularity.
Popping-up is the motion where surfers go from the paddling position, lying face down on their board, to standing up, all in one jump. Broken down into steps, the pop-up motion generally begins with the surfer lying on their stomach in the prone position on the board, with their hands palms down on either side of their chest and with their legs together. Once in this position, the surfer must do a push-up, such that all of their weight is now supported by their hands, just as in a regular push-up, but with an arched back so that the surfer's upper body is elevated and their pelvis more or less remains on the board. Keeping their hands firmly on the board, the surfer then must bring their knees up to their chest, such that their feet swing in under their body like a pendulum. The surfer will want to end up with their feet pointing somewhat across the board, with the heels on one side of the centerline or stringer of the board and the balls of the feet and toes on the other side of the centerline or stringer (or with the reverse foot position depending on the surfer's foot preference). After this, the surfer will be in a deep crouched position with their body facing sideways and their weight centered, head up with their eyes looking forward, feet slightly wider than their shoulders, and with their arms bent out from their sides, slightly forward. The popping-up motion developed as a way for the surfer to stand up on their board while maintaining control and balance of the board with their feet, their weight, and the center line of the board.
In summary, surfing requires the strength to paddle out to the waves and the strength to lift, or “pop-up” off of one's board. Consequently, beginner surfers with little upper body strength or little experience with the motions required to paddle out to a wave and properly pop-up can find these two tasks difficult and daunting. Also, paddleboarders require stamina to endure staying in the prone paddling position.
Previously, practicing paddling and popping-up on dry land prior to hitting the ocean were the methods used to combat the problems associated with paddling and popping-up on a surfboard. While practice is valuable, even for experienced surfers, the equipment does not always make the task of paddling and popping-up easy. Further, paddling, even for those skilled in it, can be hard on the body of the surfer due to their ribs being pressed into the board and the strain and tension in the muscles of the surfer's back that results from maintaining the proper raised paddling position.